The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton Among Nation's Top Five Percent of Healthcare Institutions for Patient Satisfaction
Earns Press Ganey Summit Award For Three Straight Years of Achievement

HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY - The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton (CINJ-H) has been honored with the prestigious Press Ganey Summit Award recognizing high achievement in patient satisfaction. Recipients of the Summit Award have earned levels of patient satisfaction within the top five percent of all healthcare organizations in the United States for three consecutive years.

Press Ganey, a leading organization for polling patient satisfaction levels in the healthcare industry, created the award to recognize institutions that have demonstrated a superior level of commitment to achieving patient satisfaction. The Summit Award, in its inaugural year, is the most prestigious symbol of achievement in the healthcare satisfaction industry and is already highly regarded among the healthcare community. The award was given to just 61 healthcare institutions nationally.

"The Summit Award is a tremendous achievement because it represents the voice of our patients," says Lisa Breza, RN, BSN, and Executive Director at CINJ-H. "It is an affirmation that we are meeting and exceeding standards common to the vision we share with RWJ Hamilton, which is to retain a culture of exceptional service and a commitment to quality patient care."

CINJ-H; Providing Outstanding Cancer Care to Greater Mercer County Established in 1996, CINJ-H is located on the grounds of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton and is an affiliate member of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center in the state. The NCI designation of comprehensive cancer center has been given to only 39 centers nationally.

Press Ganey, in presenting the Summit Award, cited that the stellar performance ratings of CINJ-H reflect the comfort of the facility, its physicians and support staff, leading-edge technology as well as its focus on prevention and wellness. Patients have expressed an appreciation for having immediate access to leading oncology specialists, the most current and promising protocols, treatments, experimental therapies and clinical trials.

"Organizations (that are recipients of the Summit Award) live their mission, vision, and values every day," says Dr. Melvin F. Hall, president and chief executive officer of Press Ganey. "In an industry filled with passion and dedication, it is important to pay tribute to those organizations that are leading the charge to improve quality."

Press Ganey also noted that patients satisfied with CINJ-H took great comfort in the architecture of its state-of-the-art facility, which "breaks the mold of the traditional health care settings." The facility, which opened in 2002, is designed, with patient comfort in mind, to ease anxiety during treatment. The treatment areas feature "picturesque overhead visual scenes," floor-to-ceiling windows with views of a Grounds For Healing™—a private, secure garden that is "indicative of CINJ-H's approach to healing body, mind, and spirit."

By offering the latest treatment options and access to skilled cancer experts, CINJ-H continues to attract praise for providing patients with the best care possible. Patients are also presented numerous opportunities to embrace programs on prevention, genetic testing, wellness and support.

CINJ-H currently holds a "Three-Year with Commendation" approval from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons and an accreditation in radiation oncology for achieving high standards as measured by the American College of Radiology. It is also one of two members in The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network that was recognized by The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Oncology Group (CINJOG) as having the greatest commitment and highest number of patients enrolled in CINJOG clinical research studies during 2005.

Founded in 1985, Press Ganey works with over 7,000 healthcare facilities nationwide to help them improve services based on feedback from patients, physicians, employees, and residents.

For information on services, programs and support groups available at CINJ-H, patients may call (609) 631-6960.

More About RWJ Hamilton
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton) is the only New Jersey hospital to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Located in Hamilton Township, NJ, the hospital is part of the RWJ Health System and Network and is affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey-RWJ Medical School and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The RWJ Hamilton Health Care Corporation serves communities within a five-county area and includes an acute care hospital, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton, three affiliated medical groups, seven Lakeview Child Centers, and the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness, home of a medically-based fitness center and the hospital's extensive community education program. Over 1,900 hospital employees and 650 medical staff physicians share RWJ Hamilton's passion for Excellence Through Service. For more information, visit www.rwjhamilton.org.